Quick answer
Flaking is a damaged barrier, not dirt. Scrubbing it makes it worse. Here is the repair sequence that works.
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The instinct is to scrub off the flakes. That removes more barrier and restarts the cycle.
1. Stop all actives for 7–10 days
Acids, retinol, vitamin C, scrubs. Everything.
2. Cleanse once a day with something gentle
Water only in the morning is fine while repairing.
3. Hydrate then seal, twice a day
Humectant on damp skin, occlusive moisturizer over it.
4. Add an overnight occlusive on the worst patches
A thin layer of an ointment-type balm on cracked areas.
5. Reintroduce one active after two weeks
Twice a week, then build.
When it is not just dryness
If patches are red, itchy, weeping or spreading, that may be eczema rather than winter dryness — and it needs a doctor, not a richer cream.
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Barrier moisturizers · gentle products